Wire clothespin



Dec. 28, 192.6. 1,612,297

C. LIMPRIGHT WIRE CLOTHESPIN Filed Dec. 1. 1924 l NVENTOR CLIFFORD L/MPR/a-H 7' Patented Dec. 28, 1926.

1,612,297 PATENT caries.

oniriaoian LIivirniGriT, or M'AitYsvi'nLE, wriseimeos.

Application filed December 1. 1924. Serial No. 753,172.

This invention relates to improvements in clothes pins and more particularly to clothes pins made from Wire; it being the principal object of the invention to provide a clothes pin from a single piece of spring wire and which, besides being durable, serviceable and efficient, is of such construction that there are no sharp ends, edges and bends exposed on which the flimsiest of fabric might be damaged.

A further object of the invention resides in the various details of construction whereby the spring portion which serves to retain the jaws in clamped relation, provides 1 for the inclosure of the opposite ends of the Lit) wire from which the pin is formed.

Other objects reside in the various de tails of construction as is hereinafter disclosed.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of a clothes pin embodied by the present invention.

Figure 2 is an edge view of the same showing in dotted lines the jaws in open position.

Figures 3, 4 and 5 illustrate successive steps in the formation of the pin.

Figure 6 is a view showing the coil portion of the pin in section and illustrates the manner in which the ends of the wire are tucked into the coil.

Referring more in detail to the drawhe present device is an integral one piece construction embodying two clamping jaws that are yieldably held together by the ac tion of a spirally wound coil, but which may be spread apart by pressing together two arms that extend from the coil at the side opposite the jaws. In Figure 2 I have designated the jaws by the reference characters c0-a and the arms by the characters a-c and in dotted lines have illustrated the spreading action of the jaws by pressing together the two arms.

The pin, as illustrated, is formed from a single piece of spring wire which, first, is cut to a required length and then is formed at its center into a spiral coil 1, preferably of four or more convolutions. The two jaws aa: of the pin are then formed by extending the parts of the wire at opposite ends of the coil downwardly substantially in parallel relation to form the side portions 22 of the jaws and then by bending the wires laterally in opposite directions and parallel with the axis of the coil 1 to form the lower cross members 3-8 of the aws and again bending them upwardly and in an inclined relation toward each other so that they form the other side members 4-4 of the jaws.

The wires as extended from the jaws cross each other at opposite sides of the coil 1 and continue upwardly beyond the coil in substantially parallel relation forming side members 5 and 5 of the two releasing arms 0-0. These portions of the wire are then bent laterally in opposite directions parallel with the axis of the coil forming the end portions 6 and 6 of the arms and are then bent downwardly to form the other side members 7 and 7 thereof. At their lower ends the members 7 and 7 are bent laterally and the ends 8 and 8 thereof are tucked into the opposite ends of the coil 1. By this method of construction, no sharp ends, bends or edges are exposed, leaving only rounded surfaces which will not cause damage to iii) the clothes to which the pins may be applied.

By crossing the wires which extend from the jaws into the arms, at points directly on opposite sides of the coil when pressure is applied against the arms to open the jaws, the pressure of one arm opposes the other in such manner that there will, be no distortion of the device as might be possible were these wiresnot crossed.

Such pins may be made in various sizes and proportionsand from wire of difierent gauge, and to insure against staining the clothes and also to protect the pins against rust they are given a substantial coating yieldably held clamped together by the tension of said coil; said Wires after crossing the coil being extended substantially in parallel relation then bent toward each other and then turned back toward opposite ends of the spiral coil thus forming paired arms adapted to be sprung together to cause said the opposite ends of said spiral coil.

Signed at Everett, Snohomish County, Washington, this 24th day of November CLIFFORD LIMPRIGHT. 

